Mop head holder

ABSTRACT

A mop head holder adapted for removable attachment to a retaining clip of a mop handle and being particularly designed for the reception and support of a wet-type mop head.

O United States Patent [:51 3,656,207 Short [4511 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] MOPHEAD HOLDER 589,639 9/1897 Canfield ..15/154 UX 916,338 3/1909 Lawlor..15/148 [72] invent 856,733 6/1907 Saffold ..1s/1s4 x [73] Assignee:Deering Millikan Research Corporation,

Spartanburg, SC, Primary Examiner-Daniel Blum may y 13 1970Attorney-Norman C. Armitage and H. William Petry 9 21 App 1. N0.: 36,924ABSTRACT A mop head holder adapted for removable attachment to a (SIretaining clippfa mop handle and being particularly designed [581Field6'6661'3331:1213:1111:3315;115:1566; 120 A, 147, for the recepm andsuppomfawet-wve mop head- [56] References Cited i UNITED STATES PATENTS3 Claims 5 1,641,034 8/1927 l'larber ..15/l51' ing of the mop heads foruse, but also permits the use of different types of mop heads with acommon support handle. Generally, the means for removably attaching suchmop heads to the support handle comprises a receiving member, such as aclip, which may be permanently or removably attached to the end of themop handle, and a mop head holder, such as a wire frame or the likewhich directly contains and supports the mop head and is removablysecured to the mop handle by the clip.

Typical of such mops of the type described is that disclosed inpreviously issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,454 which describes a mop composedof a mop handle and retaining clip attached thereto for removablyreceiving and supporting a mop head of the dry, or dust mop type. Asshown in the drawings of the patent, the mop head 6 itself is removablysupported on an elongate wire frame 13 which has an inner frame portion18 pivotally removably attached to a clip member 27 secured to the endof a mop handle 26. The clip 27 is composed of two plates 28, 41 whichare pivotally attached and spring-biased to grippingly receive across-rod 25 (FIG. 2) of the mop head support frame 13 to pivotallysupport same during use.

Particularly in industrial and commercial use, it is desirable to employboth dry mops of the type described in the foregoing patent and wetmops, typical of which is described in U.S.

Pat. No. 2,492,232. The heads of such wet mops generally are constructedof a plurality of elongate generally parallel strings or threads whichare attached at their midpoint to a suitable :support bracket or rod foruse. From a standpoint of economy as well as improved storage and use,it is desirable to provide a mop tool having the capability ofalternately supporting on a ,common handle both dry and wet mop heads ofthe type described.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mop headholder for a wet mop of the type described which may be readilyremovably attached to and used with a mop tool having the clip-typesecuring member also utilized to support a dry mop head as described inUS Pat. No. 3,029,454.

The foregoing as well as other objects of the present invention may bebest understood and explained by reference to the accompanying drawingsin which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wet mop including a handle,mop head, and retaining means for removably supporting the mop head onthe handle embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the mop headretaining section of the mop of FIG. 1, with the mop head holder shownremoved from the clip retainer for better clarity;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are enlarged front and plan views, respectively, of themop head holder of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the mop head retaining section takengenerally along line 4-4 of FIG. 1, and with the mop head removed forconvenience.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a wet mopincluding a portion of a handle to which is attached a retaining clip 12which removably supports a mop head holder 14 and a mop head 16. Mophead 16 is composed of a plurality of strings or threads 18 which aredisposed in generally parallel side-by-side relation and are sewntogether at the approximate midpoint of their length with a fabricbinder 20. Such a mop head construction is typical of the wet mop headtypes that are removably attachable to mop tools for commercial use.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the retaining clip 12 is composed of afirst plate 22 pivotally attached by a bolt or rivet 23 to an upwardlyextending flat shaft 24. Shaft 24 is secured to the end of mop handle 10by an attaching sleeve 26 and rivet 28. A second plate 30 is pivotallysecured to the first plate 22 by a pivot pin 32 which extends throughaligned openings of a pair of projecting fingers 34, 35 on each of theplates and the lower ends of plates 22 and 30 are urged into contact bya coiled spring 36 surrounding pivot pin 32. Secured to the inside faceof plate 22 by rivet 23 is a rigid third plate 37 having a pair ofspaced, downwardly projecting ears 38, 40 which are positioned at theopposite outer edges of the second plate 30 (FIG. 2). Ears 38, 40 arespaced outwardly from the bottom portion of first plate 22 to form aspace therebetween for the reception of a portion of the mop head holderwhich will be described.

The upper portion of first plate 22 has a tongue portion 42 whichextends along the face of shaft 24. The sides of the tongue portion 42are releasably engaged by C-shaped clamp 44 which is slidable on shaft24 to release clip 12 for pivotable movement about rivet 23, thuspermitting greater maneuverability of the mop head holder and mop headon the mop handle. The position of clamp 44 on shaft 24 is controlled bya leaf spring 46 (FIG. 4).

Mop head holder 14 of the present invention is best shown in FIGS. 2 and3 and is composed of a relatively rigid, loopshaped rod 50 having endportions 52, 54 extending in generally parallel spaced side-by-siderelation. F inger-like elements 56, 58 are suitably attached to rod endportions 52, 54, respectively, as by welding, and have inwardlyprojecting sections 56a, 58a, respectively, which extend towards eachother in opposing relation and lie in a common plane which is spacedfrom and parallel to the plane of the rod end portions 52, 54. Sections56a, 58a and end portions 52, 54 of the rod 50 define between them aspace for the reception of first plate 22 of the clip. The faces of therod end portions 52, 54 opposing the finger-like elements may besuitably flattened, as shown, to facilitate the reception of flat plate22.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, finger-like elements 56, 58 are slidablyreceived in the opening between projecting ears 38, 40 and the lower endof first plate 22, while the crimped lower end portion of second plate30 underlies and engages the finger-like elements 56, 58 of the mop headholder 14 to firmly secure the same to the clip 12 during use.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the central fabric-bound portion of mop head 16is retained within the loop portion of the mop head holder 14 duringuse. Mop head 16 may be readily inserted within the loop portion whenthe holder 14 is removed from the clip by passing the center portion ofthe mop head between the rod end portions 52, 54 and the end portions ofthe finger-like elements 56, 58 which terminate a sufiicient distanceapart to permit easy passage of the mop head therebetween for retentionwithin the loop of the rod.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the mop head holderof the present invention may be readily employed with the mop tool clipmember of the type normally used to support dry mop frames so as topermit the use of a single mop handle for the support of both wet anddry mops of the type described.

That which is claimed is:

l. A mop head holder adapted for removable attachment to a retainingclip of a mop handle to support a mop head thereon, comprising arelatively rigid, loop-shaped rod having end portions extending ingenerally parallel, spaced side-byside relation, a relatively rigidfinger-like element attached to each of said rod end portions and havinga section extending inwardly between said rod end portions, saidsections extending in opposing relation to each other and in a planeparallel to a plane extending through the rod end portions, adjacentends of said sections terminating a sufficient distance apart to permitpassage of a portion of a mop head therebetween for its placement andretention within the loop of said rod, and a retaining clip having afirst plate portion slidably received between said finger-like elementsand said end portions of said rod and being engaged thereby, a pair ofprojecting ears attached to and spaced from said plate for slidablyreceiving said finger-like elements therebetween, and a spring-biasedsecond plate pivotally attached to said first plate and having an endportion in overlying engagement with said finger-like elementscooperating with said ears and said first plate to removably secure saidmop head holder in said clip.

2. A mop head holder adapted for removable attachment to a retainingclip of a mop handle to support a mop head thereon, comprising arelatively rigid rod defining a generally oval loop of unrestrictedinterior for the reception and support of a mop head therewithin, endportions of said rod extending in generally parallel, spacedside-by-side relation, means attached to each of said rod end portionsand extending toward each other in a common plane spaced from the planeextending through said rod end portions to define a passage between saidmeans and said rod end portions for the reception and entions, and saidsections extending in opposing relation to each I other and in a planeparallel to a plane extending through the rod end portions.

1. A mop head holder adapted for removable attachment to a retainingclip of a mop handle to support a mop head thereon, comprising arelatively rigid, loop-shaped rod having end portions extending ingenerally parallel, spaced side-by-side relation, a relatively rigidfinger-like element attached to each of said rod end portions and havinga section extending inwardly between said rod end portions, saidsections extending in opposing relation to each other and in a planeparallel to a plane extending through the rod end portions, adjacentends of said sections terminating a sufficient distance apart to permitpassage of a portion of a mop head therebetween for its placement andretention within the loop of said rod, and a retaining clip having afirst plate portion slidably received between said finger-like elementsand said end portions of said rod and being engaged thereby, a pair ofprojecting ears attached to and spaced from said plate for slidablyreceiving said finger-like elements therebetween, and a spring-biasedsecond plate pivotally attached to said first plate and having an endportion in overlying engagement with said finger-like elementscooperating with said ears and said first plate to removably secure saidmop head holder in said clip.
 2. A mop head holder adapted for removableattachment to a retaining clip of a mop handle to support a mop headthereon, comprising a relatively rigid rod defining a generally ovalloop of unrestricted interior for the reception and support of a mophead therewithin, end portions of said rod extending in generallyparallel, spaced side-by-side relation, means attached to each of saidrod end portions and extending toward each other in a common planespaced from the plane extending through said rod end portions to definea passage between said means and said rod end portions for the receptionand engagement of a portion of a retaining clip therebetween tofacilitate securement of the holder on a mop handle, and adjacent endsof said inwardly extending means terminating a sufficient distance apartto permit the passage of a portion of the mop head therebetween for itsplacement within the loop of the rod.
 3. A mop head holder as defined inclaim 2 wherein said inwardly extending means comprises a relativelyrigid finger-like element attached to each of said rod end portions andhaving a section thereof extending inwardly between said rod endportions, and said sections extending in opposing relation to each otherand in a plane parallel to a plane extending through the rod endportions.